Two Brazilian women have spent the past month in a German jail accused of trafficking 40 kilograms of cocaine. However, all signs point to this being an inside job.
In this post:
Brazilian couple arrested over bags with cocaine
Two Brazilian women who have been married for 12 years were planning on taking a 20-day vacation to Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Instead, they’ve spent over a month in a jail in Frankfurt, Germany, having been accused of international drug trafficking.
On March 4, 2023, the couple was scheduled to fly from Goiania (GYN) to Sao Paulo (GRU) to Frankfurt (FRA) to Berlin (BER), and they were traveling with two checked bags. When they landed in Frankfurt on March 5, they passed through immigration control and went to the boarding gate for their flight to Berlin.
At the gate, they got approached by German police and handcuffed, as two suitcases tagged in their names were full of cocaine, with the drugs weighing in at a jaw-dropping 40 kilograms.
I’ve seen my fair share of episodes of “Locked Up Abroad,” and I think it’s safe to say that if found guilty, they’ll be spending many years in jail. However, it appears that they are in fact innocent in all of this.
Evidence suggests these women are innocent
Following this arrest, federal police in Brazil performed an investigation, as the circumstances here were suspicious. For one, the couple had planned the trip well in advance (in June of 2022), and they had booked all the hotels for their trip. This is a very unusual pattern for drug mules, who usually book tickets last minute (since most people don’t decide 10 months in advance that they plan on being a mule).
But there’s much more concrete evidence that they’re innocent. On April 4, federal police in Brazil arrested six people who they say were behind this scheme. Specifically, it would appear that while at Sao Paulo Airport, these passengers’ bags were exchanged with two bags full of cocaine.
A Brazilian news program has even released video footage of the baggage department at the airport. Two employees for WFS Orbital, an airport ground handling service company, were seen handling the two bags.
The employees picked up the bags from the baggage belt and took pictures of them with their mobile phones. At this point, the tags on the bags were changed.
Soon after, two unidentified women showed up at the airport with bags that were similar sizes and colors to the two travelers’ bags. They left the new bags at the check-in counter, even though the counter was closed, and then left the airport. The bags were then placed on a baggage belt, and retagged, to make it seem like the two women were checking the bags.
The bags were then transported from the domestic part of the airport to the international part of the airport in a way that avoided an x-ray scan. The exchange of bags then happened behind a pillar, so that security cameras couldn’t capture it.
I would assume that there was supposed to be a baggage handler in Frankfurt or Berlin who was supposed to receive these bags, but so far there’s no evidence of that.
The German government has stated that it wants evidence to come directly from the Brazilian government. That evidence has now been shared, so hopefully the two women are released soon.
The original two suitcases checked by the travelers (which only weighed 16 kilograms and 17 kilograms, less than the ones filled with cocaine), haven’t yet been found, and it’s not known why these two women were targeted. I’d assume the decision was made based on the destination, and these travelers were just very unlucky.
Bottom line
Two Brazilian women have been arrested in Germany, after 40 kilograms of cocaine was found in suitcases that were checked in their names. However, it now appears almost certain that the travelers had nothing to do with this.
Rather there was a scheme at Sao Paulo Airport to swap the bags these ladies had checked for bags containing cocaine. Hopefully these women are freed soon. How terrifying to think that you could plan on taking a well-deserved vacation, only to end up in jail for over a month for something you had absolutely no part in.
What do you make of this drug smuggling situation?
(Tip of the hat to @henrique_ess)
Keep a photo of your packed luggage inside & out and make sure you have a photo at check-in with the suitcase and tags attached. Send these fotos to a friend as extra evidence before you depart.
It's a fair move, but not enough in this particular case as a proof of innocence. A criminal could switch the bags after taking the picture...
Most countries don't require you to prove you're innocent, you just need reasonable doubt. That's reasonable doubt.
If the contention is that you then made another swap after the picture, they need to go get the CCTV footage from the airport to show that that's what happened.
As you were writing this two days ago, the women were released.
Even if other people switched this couple's bags in the baggage handling area, that alone doesn't prove the couple was not part of the smuggling scheme.
If not the couple, who else was tasked with picking up the drugs in Frankfurt?
Why would smugglers go to the trouble of putting drugs on a plane without having colleagues to retrieve them upon arrival?
The easiest way to retrieve drugs on arrival would be to use the...
Even if other people switched this couple's bags in the baggage handling area, that alone doesn't prove the couple was not part of the smuggling scheme.
If not the couple, who else was tasked with picking up the drugs in Frankfurt?
Why would smugglers go to the trouble of putting drugs on a plane without having colleagues to retrieve them upon arrival?
The easiest way to retrieve drugs on arrival would be to use the flight crew or passengers, who then could deliver the drugs to their final destination.
What's up with all the crazy hypotheticals. These women were arrested in Germany, and like most developed countries, they operate on the prosecutor having to prove your guilt in a criminal case, not you having to prove your innocence.
If they swap your baggage in the handling area, then that's sufficient reasonable doubt.
Use an AirTag in all of your checked luggage.
They weren't "falsely accused". Two bags arrived in the suspects name packed to the brim with drugs. Unless there is clear evidence that the suitcase doesn't belong to them the arrest and incarceration was perfectly legitimate. The problem here is in lax security measures at Brazilian airports for this scheme to be possible in the first place. In fact these two are extremely lucky someone came forward otherwise they'd spend a considerable time in prison....
They weren't "falsely accused". Two bags arrived in the suspects name packed to the brim with drugs. Unless there is clear evidence that the suitcase doesn't belong to them the arrest and incarceration was perfectly legitimate. The problem here is in lax security measures at Brazilian airports for this scheme to be possible in the first place. In fact these two are extremely lucky someone came forward otherwise they'd spend a considerable time in prison. Still, better to be in a German prison than an American one.
I disagree. German police didn't wait to see if they would pick that luggage. They were arrested before even quit from the plane.
About the security in the Brazilian airport, if you study about airports all around the world, you would know it could happen in any country.
And remember, that drug arrived from Brazil, but somebody in GERMANY would take it, to sell it to a German (or european) person. Honestly, German...
I disagree. German police didn't wait to see if they would pick that luggage. They were arrested before even quit from the plane.
About the security in the Brazilian airport, if you study about airports all around the world, you would know it could happen in any country.
And remember, that drug arrived from Brazil, but somebody in GERMANY would take it, to sell it to a German (or european) person. Honestly, German police should have better procedures in that situations, they are responsible for this mistake too.
All that evidence and they still had to spend a month in prison. That's a lot of trauma for any law abiding citizen. No telling if they will even get any compensation in any kind of timely manner.
Compensation for what? They arrived in Germany with bags full of drugs in their name. If they want compensation try and sue the drug smugglers in Brazil.
Ok Stefan, but some drug smuggler in GERMANY would take that drug, to sell it do GERMAN consumers, right? Or you think that drug would sell it by itself when arrived in Germany? lol
All the more reason why I never check luggage.
Moral of the story: When you must check a bag, make sure it's unique looking and take a picture of it right after the check-in agent puts the baggage tag on it.
If you arrive at the destination with a different bag, you can pull out your picture as proof.
Better yet an Apple AirTag!
An AirTag is still not proof that you didn’t check the bag full of drugs, your bag with the tag on the conveyor belt is.
Sadly this happens far more often than you might realise, all over the world. And most innocent victims are not fortunate enough to have a lucky CCTV video to exonerate them.
I remember a case at Gatwick some years ago where a similar ring of baggage handlers was tampering with luggage. Even though the gang was busted, there were multiple convictions in other countries (notably the US where the accused had accepted plea bargains)...
Sadly this happens far more often than you might realise, all over the world. And most innocent victims are not fortunate enough to have a lucky CCTV video to exonerate them.
I remember a case at Gatwick some years ago where a similar ring of baggage handlers was tampering with luggage. Even though the gang was busted, there were multiple convictions in other countries (notably the US where the accused had accepted plea bargains) that could not be overturned absent specific exonerating evidence for those cases.
German Police has accepted the unquestionable proofs the girls have absolutely nothing to do with the smuggling and both shall be released in the coming hours!
I’m a bit confused. They have all this evidence of their innocence yet Germany is still keeping them in jail? Once it was established the bags they checked are not the same bags with the cocaine they should have been released. Story doesn’t make a lot of sense so I wonder if there is more to this.
Very simple, evidence has to be submitted through the proper channels for a court to review and then release the suspects if the circumstances permit. Loose reporting alone doesn't count.
There is solid information that they are innocent. I live in Brazil and I could not believe that this really happens, even with all the security we need to go through. Could have been anyone…
GYN - Goiania Airport.
If they are innocent, would be a good PR move by the German government to host them on an epic trip around Germany. I'm sure they just want to get home, but down the road, and really roll out the red carpet for them.
This isn't Germany's problem. The culprits of this case are in Brazil.
In a sense it IS Germany's problem. It is the pull factor from German (European?) consumers that brings in drugs from other parts of the world. The US blames countries such as Mexico for its drug problems but no one will send drugs to the US or anywhere else unless there is demand. Of course, it is much easier for politicians to grandstand blaming others than to initiate policies that will stop or mitigate drugs crises.
This was a complicated scheme involving many actors. Unusual. I also fear the recovery of the cocaine might have put the targeted couple in danger had the drugs not been intercepted.
One more reason to never check a bag.
The good thing IS that they were caught by the police, both could be kidnapped and killed by the trafickers to get cocaine back....
So many questions. Did the traffickers use the exact same bag as the ones being checked? I assume not. In which case, I don't think the couple would've been in any physical danger from the smugglers. I imagine the smugglers will either intercept with a baggage handler who is working at the destination airport, or (the more likely scenario), the smugglers arrive on a flight that's slightly earlier and waits at the baggage claim area...
So many questions. Did the traffickers use the exact same bag as the ones being checked? I assume not. In which case, I don't think the couple would've been in any physical danger from the smugglers. I imagine the smugglers will either intercept with a baggage handler who is working at the destination airport, or (the more likely scenario), the smugglers arrive on a flight that's slightly earlier and waits at the baggage claim area for the bags.
The Brazilian couple is unlikely to take a bag if it doesn't physically look like the ones they've checked themselves.
Came here to say this
Im flying now from Medellín to Bogotá, si ill check my stuff ha ha
Bad luck happens unfortunately.
Awful story. More victims of the war on drugs.
Thankfully the Brazilian police are on the ball even if the German police aren't.
LOL you must be joking. They arrived in Germany with bags full of drugs in their name. That's enough evidence and reason to lock them up. That someone involved in this scheme based in Brazil was eventually talking is a lucky coincidence. German police did the job perfectly well, they intercepted the drugs and arrested the owners.
Stefan, I disagree.
German police didn't wait to see if they would pick that luggage. They were arrested before even quit from the plane.And it could happen in any country.
Remember, that drug arrived from Brazil, but somebody in GERMANY would take it, to sell it to a German (or european) person.
Honestly, German police should have better procedures in that situations, they are responsible for this mistake too. At least they...
Stefan, I disagree.
German police didn't wait to see if they would pick that luggage. They were arrested before even quit from the plane.And it could happen in any country.
Remember, that drug arrived from Brazil, but somebody in GERMANY would take it, to sell it to a German (or european) person.
Honestly, German police should have better procedures in that situations, they are responsible for this mistake too. At least they should wait to see WHO would take that luggage in airport.